My baby chicken is droopy

Question

My baby chicken is droopy: He is about 2 months old and up until yesterday he has been full of energy, a happy and healthy little chicken.

But yesterday when I went to take him out of his pen he seemed slow and out of energy. he is not interested in food. all he wants to do is sleep, not like him at all. His stools are very runny.can anyone tell me what is wrong with him? and what I can do to help him?Thanks

AnswerThe diarrhea may have caused his foods and water to pass through him before he can benefit from them. Diarrhea causes dehydration and can cause malnutrition. To get his energy up quickly you need to keep him warm and offer fluids.

A quick recipe for energy would be ½ cup warm water with 1tblespoon sugar or honey and a pinch of salt. Offer it in a spoon and don’t force him since he is exhausted.

If he isn’t swallowing you need to get him warmed up and massage his body to get his circulation going. Hopefully that will perk him up. Offer him soaked chick start with some applesauce when he can eat.

Once he is eating you want to get some good bacteria into him, either a probiotic product or live culture yogurt mixed with wet food.

The cause of the diarrhea could be: spoiled feed, contaminated water, infected droppings from other birds, something toxic in his environment, parasites or disease.

To cure him you will have to figure out the cause and take appropriate action, as each has a different treatment.

Droopy chick

QuestionDroopy chick: My chick is almost 3 weeks old and just started to droop and not move much.

AnswerA chick this weak needs urgent care, if it can survive. Weakness is caused by lack of nutrients and hydration. Mixing up some warm sugar or honey water with a pinch of salt can help to revive it enough to offer some soaked chick start.

Why this has happened may never be known. Some chicks are weaker than others and may not survive. Getting to near 3 weeks is a good sign that it started with good general health. Chicks can develop digestive problems if they don’t drink enough water with their feed.

Feed and water can become contaminated with bacteria or mold and be toxic to their delicate little bodies. Giving a probiotic or a little live culture yogurt can help restore good digestion.

Grated apple and cut up leafy greens, like dark lettuces, can help with digestion. Adding a tablespoon or raw apple cider vinegar to every cup of their water can help cut down on bacteria in water and the digestive tract.

Make sure your brooder temperature is correct. Having a thermometer at the chick’s level is important.

They need about 95 F in the first week and you can decrease the temperature 5 to 10 degrees each week, as long as they can tolerate it. They will chirp loudly when too cool and get lethargic and lose appetite if they can’t get warm enough.

Keeping the brooder clean is important as wet droppings can breed bacteria and harmful ammonia fumes can build up making for a toxic environment. Hope this helps and this little one gets better.

Baby chick is droopy

by Elizabeth jonia
(Airzona)

QuestionMy baby chick is droopy and all limp. I need help. He drinks but has a real hard time eating. Please help.

AnswerThis little one is very sick in deed. By the time he’s limp, he is dying. You may be able to revive him by offering some Gatorade (with sugar) or an electrolyte product, available at most feed stores. You don’t say how long he has been this way, but you will have to act fast to save him.

Keeping him warm is vital. If you don’t have quick access to Gatorade or electrolytes you can mix up a little sugar or honey water with a pinch of salt, about 1 tsp sugar or honey to ¼ cup warm water.

Offer it with a dropper or spoon, getting a drop at a time at the tip of his beak. Hopefully he’s not so far gone that he won’t swallow on his own. Don’t force the fluids if he isn’t swallowing.

You could warm him in your hands, near a heat source, and gently massage his little body to encourage blood flow and hopefully revive him. If you can get him alert continue to offer the warm sweet and salty water.

If he responds and swallows, you may be able to get him to eat some soaked chick start. You will just have to baby him and watch him and hopefully he will turn around. Hope this helps and you can save him.

What ever caused this may need further treatment to prevent it from happening again. You should make sure he has a well balanced diet of chick start, some fruit and greens chopped up small enough for his size and always fresh water.